My Life: In Black and White
by fayhill
Summary: For any man life is tough, filled with pain, anguish and dissapointment. But for a child; life is merciless. BleachxNaruto.
1. Chapter 1

**My Life In Black and White**

**Prologue:**

**Two Deaths, One Grave**

--

_The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had_

--

We weren't rich, and forever toiled the land in hope of growing enough vegetables to sustain us, but we were content, happy even.

Mother, my loving mother. She was always so cheerful…so, comforting. And yet, my most vivid memory of her was that of her graceful body lying limp on the floor, mangled beyond total recognition. Her beautiful lush brown hair matted with blood, her blood, obscured her gentle face as though it were a majestic red curtain, a curtain that would never rise again for the long awaited encore.

And there he stood.

A vulture, suspended awkwardly over her body, waiting ever so quietly for her death. On the verge of death, he brashly pressed his lips against hers and stole her last breath.

"Till death do us part."

His raspy voice disgusted me; he turned and walked towards me, slowly, savoring the moment of my impending death. His arms spread out in a wide embrace, oh the irony of it all. His cruel demented smile plastered across his face.

"_Monster_, you were born to die."

Sprawled awkwardly across the blood stained timber. My long black hair fell over my eyes. How pitiable I must've looked. With great difficulty I used me ruined arms to push myself into an awkward sitting position, and indignantly raised my head, only to be met with his piercing glare. All I could see was my pathetic condition reflected in those hard black eyes, those eyes that held no affliction or compassion.

I _**hated**_ him.

Seething with unadulterated loathing, forcing through clenched teeth the very word that I held with immense resentment, almost as if acknowledging him.

"_Father"_

_--_

It'd been four days since, four grueling days. My limbs and muscles would surely scream out in agony if they could but speak.

I no longer had the strength to claw my way through the hard snow.

I had reached my limit.

I closed my eyes and lay there, completely still. I huddled in a fetal position as to retain heat, if only to make my death slightly more comfortable than I expected it to be. I could feel my body shutting down; I couldn't even summon the strength to open my eyes, to have one last look at the vast obsidian sky.

I could no longer feel the harsh snow on my delicate skin. But I was glad the numbness took away the pain, finally moments of relief. I knew I was dying, but I didn't care, so long as the pain would go away.

The pain of losing everything.  
The pain of losing myself.  
My purpose.

I kept telling my self, reassuring that I was ready for what death held in store for me. I was born with nothing, so what was I to lose? Why bother worrying over something as trivial as my mere existence? And yet, there I lay, sheltered in a foul mixture of blood and snow, desperately clinging to my life.

My _**hideous **_life.

Hunger, struggle and disappointment are the unalterable laws of life, so they say. What an inefficient and useless statement, the culmination of all three would be much more suited; pain. Pain is the only law of life. A law that I like many must abide by, for as long as we li… exist.

Yes, for as long as I exist, though luckily that won't be very long.

And with that, I fell into deaths welcoming arms.

----

Just small fragments of distant memory bored into my mind.  
That's all I could remember of my past life.

----


	2. Chapter 2

**My Life In Black and White:**

**Chapter I**

**The Unfurling of a New Life**

_I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take_

They say that when you die, you go to heaven.

The idea of an immortal and everlasting existence, personally I thought, was naught but wishful thinking. Originally it was simply a way of appeasing the masses; hegemony so to speak. A feudal concept that the nobility introduced to keep the working class at bay, generation after generation this ideology was thrust upon us, and eventually it was internalised. It didn't matter whether it was false or not, what people wanted was reassurance, the reassurance that life didn't simply end, but continued on, long after your physical body had deteriorated.

It was fear.

Fear that drove them to believe such a ludicrous concept.  
Fear of death.  
Fear of the unknown.

But mainly, the fear of having lived, but not remembered.

I wouldn't say I was right, but neither was I proven wrong. Similarities were definitely evident and undeniable, though prospects of everlasting peace and prosperity proved to be but falsehoods, regardless, one could easily mistake this existence as akin to that of a "heaven". All one needed to survive was water, which was attainable throughout the whole of Rukongai, granted the quality can never be guaranteed, especially when so many are forced to rely upon river water for survival. Nevertheless, people get by; that instinct of self-preservation is essentially what drives us onward, and that's simply the way of life.

It took me a few days to adjust to the way of life here. I wasn't hindered mentally as many are, I had already accepted such a way of life, neither was a desperate to retain memories of my previous life nor cling to it. To be told truthfully, I found a release. At first I thought this to be simply another way in which God demonstrated his ability to be cruel and unforgiving. But I accepted it; I accepted it because in comparison, prospects soul society offered far outweighed the consequences of death.

I realized, I'm not ready for death, and I never have been.

"Oi, do you reckon he's alive?"

"Of course he is you idiot, he's just new here is all, you can tell by the white kimono"

"Yeah but, maybe he… I don't know, hit his head on the way down and… got… got…"

"Concussed Renji"

"Yeah, that's what I meant"

the two children knelt either side of the frailer child, grasping his shoulders with his hands, the young red-haired boy shook them a little.

"Hey, hey, are you alright? Hey?"

_What? I… I didn't die? _

I tried raising my head to survey my surroundings, only to be returned with a sharp throbbing pain. Everything was a black haze, I couldn't see anything at all, not that I could summon the strength to open my eyes, even if only momentarily. A sharp jabbing pain in my side suggested someone was prodding me with a dull pointed object, a small stick found on the ground no doubt. And I could feel my shoulders had been lifted off the ground, the gentle shaking instigating a general blood flow to my limbs, sent a momentary numbness down my spine.

_Perhaps I've been found?_

I persisted in trying to move, my efforts were however futile, and resulted only in tiring myself out rather quickly. After a few minutes I felt sensation back in the smaller parts of my body. Having gained back control over my fingers and toes, I attempted to open my eyes, if only slightly. Though my vision was hazy and unclear, I could make out basic outlines and colours. A red-haired person was looming over me, seemingly small in stature and strength, so presumably a young child. Having gained a little confidence in my bodies capabilities, I experimentally I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I didn't know what to say, what does one say after they nearly died? And to their saviours no less?

"Am i… am I still alive?"

_Am I still alive? Couldn't I have thought of something better to say, Haku you're an idiot. The cold must've done your head in more than you thought._

What? Laughter? … Yes that was definitely laughter.

A young girl was laughing; her voice was like a small wind chime, playfully darting around as the wind caresses its limbs. I'd never heard anything so… so innocent. It soothed my senses and calmed my mind instantly. I felt reassured, with such a benevolent response, I must be out of harms way, and somewhere… well somewhere safe.

I couldn't help the small tears forming in the corners of my eyes; it was just a natural reaction.

"Thank god…thank god"

A gruffer laugh pierced through the girls, definitely belonging to a young boy. It may have been rougher than the first, but was still very honest and playful.

"Hahahahahaha, ah this kid's a riot Rukia. Can we keep him?"

"You can't talk about him like some sort of possession."

"Pleaaaase?"

My vision was slowly coming back to me; the young boy was dressed in a navy blue kimono, and the girl a dark maroon colour. He had long red hair, pulled back in a high ponytail, and a ridiculous grin plastered across his face. The young girl was very small in stature, though seemed to be the same age, her ebony hair was shoulder length, and framed two brilliantly blue eyes. I instantly liked them. Their childlike demeanour and honest faces appealed to me like no other, I felt more comfortable with them in these past 10 minutes, then I ever did with my own family.

The girl, groaned "Renji…"

I took this small silence as my chance to speak, "Where… where am i?"

Summoning what little strength I had, I pushed myself up into a sitting position and cradled my head in my hands to compose myself. A brief rush of blood to the head, and once I felt stable I lifted my chin, my eyes darting between the two children, both of whom were smiling; the boy beaming and the girl politely grinning.

"Welcome to the 78th district!"


End file.
